In this article from the Standards for Excellence® Institute series “52 Tips in 52 Weeks,” Amy Coates Madsen provides a tip for treating donors with respect and professionalism.
The Basis and Orientation of Public Justice: God's Sabbath with Creation - An Interview with James Skillen, Part 1
This is the first in a two-part interview with James Skillen, the founder and former president of the Center for Public Justice. CPJ’s Chelsea Langston Bombino discusses with Skillen the themes of his newest book, God’s Sabbath with Creation: Vocations Fulfilled, the Glory Unveiled (Wipf and Stock, 2019) and how those themes relate to the just ordering of a diversified society, which includes faith-based organizations of civil society. In the new book, Skillen makes the case for how all of creation, including human institutions and organizations, are both revelatory and anticipatory of the fulfillment of all things in Christ. In this interview, Bombino and Skillen discuss big-picture ideas related to God’s dynamic purposes for creation, especially for humans created in God’s image. Skillen expands on how everything that humans do in this age, both personally and in associations, has significance for the age to come. These ideas have deep resonance and implications for explicitly faith-based civil society organizations and the services they render.
52 Tips in 52 Weeks: Code of Ethics
Advancing a Sacred Sector Framework in the Academy
Schools and academic institutions have an important task of shaping the minds and preparing individuals for success in the world. These institutions, however, can sometimes perpetuate errant ideologies and hurtful stereotypes. During the 2018-19 academic year, Princeton Theological Seminary was one institution that had to come to terms with its questionable past. In this article, Kerwin Webb explains how the Sacred Sector Fellowship provided him with a framework to critically examine the role of institutions as it relates to public justice and to provide sufficient language to name the right roles and responsibilities of the government and institutions of civil society.
Unleashing the Potential of Faith-Based Universities to Support Faith-Based Civil Society Part 3: Practical Strategies for FBUs
Civil society, especially faith-based organizations, is uniquely effective at helping people, particularly in developing character and learning the ideas and ideals critical for human effort. Faith-based universities are the rare institutions in society with both the understanding of human complexity and the capacity to assist organizations to be more effective. This article, the third in a series, explores some ways faith-based universities can harness their resources, spiritual animating values, and expertise to support faith-based nonprofits and congregations in their communities. Professor John Larrivee of Mount St. Mary’s explores how FBUs, through engaging faith-based civil society, can (1) help students deepen their engagement with the faith-based social sector beyond service and connect their personal service with the larger structural questions and answers civil society provides, and (2) help the organizations themselves to be more efficient.
What Mr. Rogers Teaches Us About the Role of Institutions in Human Flourishing
52 Tips in 52 Weeks: Week 3 - Volunteer Policies
Unleashing the Potential of Faith-Based Universities to Support Faith-Based Civil Society Part 2: Practical Applications for FBUs in Forming Civil Society
Civil society is the broad term for religions, families, and civic associations formed largely by private/voluntary membership. These are often people’s first and major sources of relationship and development. In academic literature, the church’s contribution to society is often analyzed through this lens of civil society, in both the role of ideas and formation of people in relationships. That includes the work of such groups as the Daughters of Charity, founded by Elizabeth Ann Seton, which provide material assistance and education (which provide both skills and ideals).
This article, the first in a three-part series, explores how faith-based universities (FBUs), like Mount St. Mary’s, a Christian university in Maryland, can harness their resources, spiritual animating values, and expertise to support faith-based nonprofits and congregations in their communities--specifically through establishing a Center for Civil Society.
Repeal of the Church Parking Tax is Good for Institutional Religious Freedom
The church parking tax imposed on religious and secular nonprofits as part of the 2017 tax reform law was repealed in December 2019. The repeal is not only important for relieving a financial and administrative burden on these community-serving organizations, but even more so for restoring the historic and constitutional independence of primary religious institutions from governmental pressures.
The Sacred Sector, Creation Care, and Public Justice
Public justice insists that caring for the earth is the responsibility of every human institution in society, including government, individuals and diverse civil organizations – from churches and schools, to families and organizations that care about the environment. Many such organizations are inspired by sacred animating beliefs about their responsibility to steward the care of creation. In fact, there are many religious nonprofits of diverse spiritual backgrounds that are committed to supporting the environment through sustainable practices, education, service, advocacy, and more.
This article will outline the key philosophical principles undergirding a public justice approach to creation care, holistically addressing the vast environmental challenges Christian citizens and other individuals face today. It will then explore reasons why having such a variety of organizations representing distinct sacred beliefs and missions is critical in order for our pluralistic society to holistically address the vast environmental challenges we face today.
52 Tips in 52 Weeks: Week 2 - Conflicts of Interest
52 Tips in 52 Weeks: Week 1 - Advocacy and Policy
Unleashing the Potential of Faith-Based Universities to Support Faith-Based Civil Society Part 1: Historical Backdrop
This article, the second in the three-part series by John Larrivee, explores how faith-based universities (FBUs), like Mount St. Mary’s University, a Christian university in Maryland, can harness their resources, spiritual animating values, and expertise to support faith-based nonprofits and congregations in their communities - specifically through establishing a Center for Civil Society.
Civil society, especially faith-based organizations, is uniquely effective at helping people, particularly in developing character and learning the ideas and ideals critical for human effort. Faith-based universities are the rare institutions in society with both understanding of human complexity and the capacity to assist organizations to be more effective. This article, by Professor John Larrivee of Mount St. Mary’s, poses two themes that capture approaches that can be done internal and external to the university to support civil society:
1. Why does my service matter?
2. Serving those who serve.
Standards for Excellence: A Holistic Approach to Advancing the Sacred Missions of Faith-Based Civil Society Institutions
Contributing Editor Chelsea Langston Bombino, director of Sacred Sector, an initiative of the Center for Public Justice, spoke with Standards for Excellence Director Amy Coates Madsen about how this initiative, specifically in partnership with CPJ’s Sacred Sector, helps uphold public justice. Bombino begins the article by providing a framework for how CPJ’s Sacred Sector utilizes the Standards for Excellence resources to help nonprofit organizations. The article concludes in an interview with Amy Coates Madsen. CPJ’s Sacred Sector is a learning community for faith-based organizations and emerging leaders within the faith-based nonprofit sector. This is a community where the diverse faith-based nonprofit organizations that make up the Sacred Sector can turn for resources, community and advocacy that help them to advance their sacred missions. An integrative approach is vital for faith-based organizations to comprehensively embody their sacred missions to the fullest. This multi-dimensional approach must focus on mission-advancement at the intersection of organizational practices, engagement in public policy, and the shaping of a positive public perception.
Principled Pluralism: Essential to Advancing a Flourishing Faith-Based Nonprofit Sector
A vision of religious freedom for all is one where persons of all religious faiths, and of none, are free not only to worship or refrain from worship as their beliefs require, but also free to live out their faith as citizens active in the public life of the nation and in the faith-based organizations they have formed. This vision for our nation is based on a commitment to religious freedom, pluralism, and tolerance.
The result is a pluralist society: one where Catholics, evangelicals, Orthodox Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, nonbelievers, and others are free to live as citizens, health care providers, businesspeople, social-service providers, and public officials as led by their religious or nonreligious beliefs. Pluralism says that diversity such as this is to be expected in a free society and pluralism requires tolerance. Imposed uniformity is the opposite of freedom, pluralism, and tolerance, and we seek common ground where the beliefs, practices, and organizations of those of all faiths and of none are respected and their freedoms protected. Furthermore, a public realm that respects the diversity of belief and practice present in American society is ideal, rather than one that favors one group’s beliefs and practices over those of others.
Trump Administration Proposes Changes in Rules for Funding Faith-Based Services
On January 17, 2020, the Trump administration proposed significant changes to the federal Equal Treatment regulations in major federal agencies. These regulations are designed to create an equal opportunity for faith-based organizations to compete for federal funding without minimizing their religious character. Several of the proposed changes further this aim, but others unnecessarily undermine the broad consensus in support of the regulations that has developed over two decades. Comments on the various NPRM are due no later than February 18, 2020, and can be easily submitted via http://www.regulations.gov. Consult each specific NPRM to find out how to make a comment on it.
Our Image-Bearing Responsibilities Require Protection of Diverse Civil Society Organizations
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is both deeply personal and communal, meaning it applies to both individuals and institutions. Different elements of the First Amendment reflect something fundamental about what it means to be human. But American society is experiencing deep pluralism and people ultimately answer questions about what it means to be human through the lens of their sacred animating belief systems. These animating belief systems, or worldviews, are shaped by certain fundamental identities we have as individuals.
Many people have core animating beliefs that are explicitly shaped by spiritual values – what we hold most sacred. Everything, from what people eat, the products they purchase, the medications they take, and even civic actions – how people vote, what types of political activities they engage in, the types of policies they support or are engaged with, where they choose to donate their time or skills or money can all be influenced by animating beliefs. The First Amendment protects a series of fundamental freedoms and human exercises: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government.
A public justice framework allows for both individuals and institutions to fulfill God's design for them and, in turn, allows us to learn something about what it means to be created in God's image. A public justice framework also aims to ensure human flourishing. To do this, the government must ensure the ability of diverse individuals and communities – especially in our pluralistic society – to continue to flourish.ar that touch on themes of furthering the mission and impact of an organization or a cause in the public square.
